Used to it
by bookwormgirlLH
Summary: Richie and Eddie experience homophobic abuse. One shot. Set after Staying Strong, so Richie still uses his breathing apparatus. Rated T for swearing and homophobic language.


I decided to write this because we are doing about homophobia in my RE class, and I wanted to think about how Richie and Eddie would react to people being prejudiced against them.

Established Eddie/Richie.

Thanks to everyone who's read my other Bottom fics and left reviews, it means a lot to me.

This is set after Staying Strong, so Richie is still using his oxygen.

* * *

I hurried along the pavement to get to the bus stop i time, worried that I might miss my bus. I was running late for school as it was, without that happening too. But as I got there, I realised that it was running late, and frowned, sitting down. This was when I noticed two men hurrying towards the stop, both of them clearly wanting a seat. I looked down at my phone again, only looking up to check the time on the large clock nearby, and noticed the figures were much closer now.

The bus stop was crowded by the time the two men arrived, so they had to stand, both of them scowling about it. They stood quite close to each other, so it was obvious to anyone who bothered to look closely that they were more than just friends. The man on the left wore a brown suit and hat, which didn't do a very good job of hiding his completely bald head. A pair of cheap NHS glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and he swayed slightly on his feet, clearly drunk. His companion, however, was panting, his breaths very ragged, which was when I noticed he had tubes up his nose, which led to an oxygen cannister on the ground by his feet. He looked rather effeminate, with collar length hair and bright blue eyes,and when he spoke, his voice was rather high-pitched for a man.

"I'm tired, Eddie." He moaned. "I want to go home - I hate shopping."

Eddie raised his eyebrows. "So do I, mate, but we need to look in the wedding shop, don't we? So stop moaning." He said, pretending to be annoyed, tapping the other man on the nose. _Wedding shop?_ Well that confirmed it for me - they were a couple. This information didn't bother me, but one of the prats from my year at school heard this, and started laughing.

"Did you hear that?" He said to his friends, loud enough for me, and the two men, to hear. "Those poofs over there are going to get married. Isn't that just disgusting!"

Eddie, the bald man, said nothing; he made the wanking sigh across the shelter at the gang of teenagers, causing them to yell back.

"Faggots!" It turned into a chant, and I could see Eddie getting more and more wound up, and his partner looking like he was going to cry.

The ill man walked over until he was standing next to me, wheeling the oxygen behind him, so he could get a better look at them. "Shut up you THUGS!" He snapped. "We don't give a shit what you think!"

"Oh shut up, you fat, gay, twat!" The prat yelled back, causing anyone with headphones in to look up in shock. He darted forwards and pulled the tubes out of the man's nose, all the time chanting "FAGGOT!" at him.

"Richie!" Eddie called, hurrying over, but not before Richie took a swing at the prat and missed, stumbling. He was wheezing badly now, frantically grabbing at the tubes, which the prat held firmly out of his reach. Eddie pushed Richie behind him, allowing me to see if he was alright, whilst Eddie shouted at the gang, "Give those back, you bastards!" Eddie suddenly yelled as the prat kicked him in the balls, and he fell to his knees wincing.

The sound of doors opening told me my bus had arrived, and, luckily for Richie and Eddie, the gang got onto it, leaving them alone. I didn't want to miss my bus, but I picked up the cannulae for Richie and handed it to him, and helped Eddie to his feet.

"I'm sorry they're such retards." I said, and Richie just nodded, too glad to get his breath back to speak.

"Its ok, we're used to it." Eddie said bitterly, but he gave me a nod of thanks.

I smiled at them both and said "I hope you enjoy your wedding." before rushing to get on the bus, apologising to the driver. I slumped in my seat, watching Richie and Eddie fade from view, wondering if I would ever meet such interesting people again.


End file.
